Effect of Electroconvulsive Therapy on Memory in Depressive Disorders

Abstract

Memory as a function of the central nervous system is said to be disturbed in patients with depression, in addition to which, patients who are treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for their depression are said to be more confused and have further memory loss. A simple model of this is as follows: assuming the presence of a base line with respect to memory functions in normal individuals [see Fig. 1 (A)], patients with depressive illnesses have shown a decrement of this function [Fig. 1 (B)], while patients with depression treated with ECT have shown further decrease of their memory function [see Fig. 1 (C)]. As the illness is ameliorated, either spontaneously or by treatment, there is a return of this function to the premorbid level [Fig. 1 (D)].